1. Technical Field
This invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to packaging for containers of beverage. Specifically, the invention relates to a tray for holding cans of beverage during storage, shipment and handling.
2. Prior Art
Beverages, e.g., beer and soft drinks, are typically marketed in containers such as cans or bottles. These cans and bottles, especially in sizes up to about sixteen ounces, are frequently bundled in groups of six, eight or twelve cans or bottles for marketing to consumers. To facilitate handling, whether bundled together in pre-packaged groups or left loose, the cans and bottles are typically packaged in cartons or trays holding from four to twenty-four containers of beverage, depending upon the size of the containers.
Reusable molded plastic trays have been developed for cans, especially, to support the cans in groups of twenty-four for ease of handling during storage and shipment. These prior art trays have structure on their bottom surface to enable a plurality of trays filled with cans of beverage to be stacked on top of one another in stable relationship. This bottom structure also provides for lateral sliding movement of a tray across the tops of cans supported in a lower tray, when it is desired to remove a tray from the stack. Features are also provided in prior art trays to enable nestable stacking of empty trays without shingling or wedging together of the trays.
Conventional beverage can trays are typically of low depth construction and have an inner bottom surface that defines a plurality of can seating areas on which cans of beverage are supported, and generally include a side wall or top rail spaced from the bottom of the tray and which defines the outer perimeter and top of the tray. In conventional trays, this top rail is typically spaced about two inches or less from the bottom of the tray. Moreover, in trays having the top rail supported from the bottom by spaced pillars or columns, bottom portions of the outer rows of the cans are exposed through the spaces in the sides of the tray between the columns, and are susceptible to being damaged during hand-cart or forklift handling of the trays. Additionally, the top surface of a conventional tray bottom is generally relatively flat. When a route driver is transferring cans from the tray into a vending machine, for example, the tray may be held at a relatively steep angle, and the cans can shift and slide in the tray, thereby increasing the difficulty and time required to perform the task.
Further, route drivers generally handle the trays by grasping the top rail in one or both hands. Most conventional trays do not provide any handle means to facilitate grasping of the rail by a route driver, and handling of the tray can be awkward or uncomfortable because of contact with projections on the trays that facilitate nestable stacking of empty trays, and/or because of contact with the pillars which support the rail from the bottom. Moreover, conventional trays generally do not have any means to facilitate entry of a finger of fingers beneath the tray bottom to facilitate lifting or movement of the tray.
The tray described in applicant's prior application, Ser. No. 08/889267, solves many of the problems of the prior art. For instance, the peripheral top rail was raised, which alleviated some of the shortcomings of the prior art. Lengthening and widening of the top rail provide nestability of empty trays and eliminate contact of the rail with the outside row of cans. This non-contact minimizes damage to the body of the cans, and the minimal increase in tray outside dimensions still allows filled trays, when palletized, to obtain minimal cube size when stacked twelve layers high. Projections extending upwardly from the tray floor help maintain the cans in place when the tray is tilted, and heel protectors at the periphery of the tray floor minimize damage to the bottom wall portions of cans supported in the tray.
However, the prior tray may be subject to catching of the heel protector on one tray with the top rail on another tray during denesting of the empty trays.
Accordingly, there is need for a beverage can tray having means for overcoming the above-described shortcomings of conventional beverage can trays, including means to facilitate denesting of empty trays.